Gas igniter



Pmied sept. is, 1945 Joseph A. Cerny, University Heights, and JuliusConverse, East Cleveland, Ohio, assignors to The Bryant Heater Company,Cleveland, Ohio,

a corporation o! Ohio Application June 17, 1941, Serial No. 398,434

2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements ingas igniters, and has referenceparticularly to the mounting of anigniter oi the heating coil type, andto means for assuring the presentation thereto of a highly combustiblegas and air mixture.

.One of the objects of the invention is the provision of improved meansfor mounting oi.' the coil in its insulation block which at the sametime shall provide improved electrical connections with the lead wires.

Another object is the provision of improved means for mounting theinsulation block.

' A further object is the provision oi' improved means for causingdeceleration and turbulence oi' the combustible gas stream. and itsmixture with additional air Just prior to contacting the heating coll.

' Other objects and features oi' novelty will appear as we proceed with'the description of those embodiments of the invention which, for thepurposes oi' the present application, .we have illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a plan view partially insection and on an enlarged scale of a coil block with coil and leadwires assembled therein in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the same.

Figs. 3 and 4 are front and rear views respectively.

Fig. 5 is a fragmental elevational view showing 30 means for mountingthe coil on an upright pilot tube.

Fig. 6 is an elevational view of the same at right angles to that ofFig. 5.

' Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken substanf 35 tially on the line'l-'lv oi' Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of a modified form oi' mounting suitable forahorizontally extending pilot tube. ,/-'f'-" Fig. 9 is acrossjsectionalrvi'e'v taken substanti- 40 ally on the linets of Fig. 8.

Figf'lO is a fragmental plan view of another type oi mounting suitablefor horizontally ar ranged pilot tubes.

Fig. v11 is a side elevational and Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional viewtaken substan-L tially on the line I2i2 of Fig. 10.

In the drawing the coil block is illustrated at I0.

It is formed of suitable heat resistant electrical insulation.' forexample, porcelain or lava. The iront side of the block is provided witha pair oi' longitudinally extending wings Il, Il forming a channeltherebetween. The ends of these wings stop somewhat short of the ends ofthe block view oi'ithe same, 45

(Cl. 21B-32) 4 proper, as clearly illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3. An

electric heating coil I2 ispositioned within this channel, the two endwires I8 and I4 of the4 coil projecting through small passages Il and Itin the block, whichv passages communicate respectively with cavities Iland il each of which is open through at least one wall of the blockinorder that the cavities may be'accessible from the exterior of theblock. As shown'herein the cavity I1 is open through the rear wallandthe bottom wall of the block, while the cavity il is open throughtherear wall and top wall of the block.

'Ihe block is also provided with longitudinal passages I9 and 200i'larger bore than the' passages IS and I6, for the reception oi leadwires 2| and 22. These wires project through the passages into thecavities il and I8, thereby intersecting the coil end wires I3 and il.Each pair of intersecting wires isjoined mechanically and electricallyin some suitable manner, preferably by means of a high temperaturesolder, the soldered Joints being illustrated in the drawing at 23 and'respectively. A braaed connection and a welded connectionare obviouslymechanical equivalents.

of the soldered Joint an'dshould be understood as comprehended by theterm`l soldered joint. 'I'he cavities are oi' such size that a solderingtool of appropriate dimensions may be readily inserted, and when thejoint is made, whether soldered or otherwise, a good mechanicalconnection as well as a good electrical connection is accomplished andthe wiresare firmly held in the block', and each one locks the other inplace.

Referringvto Figs. 5, 6 and 7, the coil block'ls shown mounted upon anupright pilot `tube 2l having a lower port v26, upper ports 21 and aseries oi' intermediate ports 28 for ytransmitting ilame from thelannion." to the upper ports 21. A

v'lraliet'il having a shelf member 30 is fastened to the tube 2l by ascrew Il or the like in such position that the shell' I0 stands adjacentto and beneath the port 28. I'he block il is mounted upon this shelfmember by meansl of a screw 32 which extends through a smoothcylindrical hole 33 in the block into a threaded hole in the bracket.

A mixtureot combustible gas and air, hereinafter calledgas, whendischarged 'from port 28,`

flows over shelf 30 and up against an end wall of the block I0. whichthen constitutes a target for the gas stream. Upon striking the targetthe gas rebounds. is deilected and rolls sidewise in both directions aswell as upward, setting up low turbulence and eilecting a'mlxture withadditional air. 'I'he term target as hereinafter employed should beunderstood as applyim only to an element having the functions lustdescribed, and as excluding a mere gas deilector. The shelf or guardplate I prevents air currents from disturbing the gas stream. A smallportion of this mix ture after moving sidewise enters the adjacent endof the coil I2 and envelope its exterior so that ignition of the leanmixture takes place readily when the coil attains combustiontemperature.

Referring to Figs. 8 and 9, $5 is a horizontal pilot tube having a port3U. I1 is a relatively nxed element upon which the lighter coil andassociated parts are carried. AA sheet metal stamping comprisingportions I8 and 3l at right angles to each other extends beneath theilxed element $1 and has an upwardly extending rear flange 40 engagingone edge of the element 31. The front side 39 of this stamping is cutaway to receive the two wings Il of the block and the space therebetweenin which the coil l2 is located. A bottom portion 4| oi' the stampingextends forwardly beneath the coil and beneath the port 38 of the pilottube. This stamping and the block l0 are held in place by a bolt 42 andnut 43, the bolt extending through a hole in part 31, through' a slot 44in part 3l of the stamping and through the hole I3 in the block. Thepart 31 is broken away in Fig. 8 of the drawing in order to more clearlyillustrate the stamping. It will be observed that by making the cuteawayportion of the front wall 39 iit closely around the wings Il the blockand stamping are interconnected so that relative displacement isimpossible so long as the bolt 42 and its nut 43 remain in position.

In this lform of the invention the front wall 3! of the stampingopposite to the port 36 constitutes the target for the gas stream. Someof the gas may strike the bottom portion 4I of the stamping before itencounters the target proper, but the effect is quite similar to thatobtaining with the use of the construction Yshown in Figs. 5, 6 and '7;that is to say, the gas after it strikes the wall 39 is deflected,becomes mixed with air, and rolls in opposite directions from thetarget, part of it entering the coll I2. The bottom portion 4l of thestamping in this case functions partly as a guard plate or shelf forpreventing currents of air from interfering with the ow of the gasstream and partly as a deflector for directing the oblique gas streamagainst the target.

In Figs. 10, 1l and 12 a horizontal pilot tube 45 lies directly adjacenta supporting element 46 upon which the block I0 is mounted by means of ascrew 32. In this modification the target is constituted by a flange 41extending upwardly from a sheet metal element 48 which runs beneath thesupporting element 46 and is secured thereto by a screw 49. This sheetmetal element may have a reenforcing flange and may have further anintegral cap member 5| for closing the end of the pilot tube 45. In thetube there is a port 52 pslticnedgopposlte the target 41. Here the flatupper surfacemfithe supporting element 48 constitutes the guardplateorishelf and the gas stream flows above it toward the target, thenbreaking up, mixing with air, and a portion entering the end of theheatingv coil I2.

While in all of the coil mountings herein illustrated the guard plate isshown as a at hori- 7 zontal shelf, it is not essential thatit be ilator horizontal and, in fact, we have found that a vertical platefunctions quite satisfactorily in some instances. It should, however, beclose enough to the gas stream to guard the stream in order that thelatter may flow undisturbed. During this flow the stream expands anddecelerates and picks up air. The presence of the guard permits the useof a relatively long gas stream which of course increases theopportunity for expansion and deceleration. When the decelerated streamstrikes the target it is dei'iecied in all directions and may be said toroll into a cloud oi' low turbulence which moves radially outward at arelatively slow rate of speed, picking up additional air in the process,so that the mixture becomes leaner and leaner as it progresses outwardfrom the point of impact upon the target. An almost quiescent conditionof the correct mixture at the point of ignition is desirable. It is notwell to so restrict the pilot port that the latter can easily clog.rIlherefore, since a stream of substantial size must be employed, aremote target location is desirable. The more remote this location, themore necessary becomes the guard. The igniting coil is arrangedpreferably with its axis in a generally radial direction with respect tothis point, with the result that at some part of is lengh an idealmixture, that is one capable of substantially complete combustion, iscontacted. The ignition of the mixture is certain to occur at this pointat least. The rate of flow at the coil is also low so that the coolingeffect due to flow is minimized.

Gas in different localities differs considerably in its composition, sothat the point of substantially perfect combustion mixture may be at oneradial distance from the center of the cloud for one locality and at anentirely diierent distance for another locality, but by arranging thecoil with its axis in a generally radial direction the apparatusautomatically compensates for such diilferent gases and functionsproperly in a wide to variety of cases without any shifting of coilposition.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. In a gas igniter, a heat resistant block of electrical insulation, anelectric igniter coil 45 mounted thereon, said block having a passagetherethrough into which one end of said coil projects and having asecond passage substantially intersecting said first passage, a leadwire 50 in said second passage, said block having an open cavity at theintersection of said passages providing access for a soldering tool, thecrossed wires extending adjacent a wall of said cavity, whereby the saidwall forms a back stop for the wires when the tool is pressed againstthem to 55 eiIect a soldered joint.

2. In a gas igniter, a heat resistant block of electrical insulation, anelectric igniter coil carried upon the face of the block with straightwires at its ends projecting into the block through 60 passages providedtherein, by which the wires are located, said block having otherpassages spaced apart in a plane parallel to the face of the block, anelectric conductor having lead wires straight end portions of whichextend 05 through and are located by said 1mi-named pas- Visages, saidblock having open cavities extending thiieinto from the back of theblock and from the opposite sides thereof, each coil end wire meetingone lead wire in one of said cavities, and 0 a soldered joint betweeneach coil end and the corresponding lead wire in each of said cavities.

JOSEPH A. CERNY. JULIUS CONVERSE.

